CAF and New Belfast to merge
When The Arts Council of Northern Ireland's (ACNI) ASOP programme (annual core funding) opened last year, ACNI made clear that it would be prioritising service delivery organisations over umbrella groups.

The threat of a complete loss of funding and subsequent closure of the Community Arts Forum (CAF) was a real and imminent possibility. At that point, the board of the CAF decided to explore the possibility of saving services through a merger.

New Belfast Community Arts Initiative, an organisation that initially developed from CAF 11 years ago, agreed to partner this development and co-operatively develop a merger process. The maintenance of services to the community arts sector was the primary objective of both organisations.

The resulting merger-plan aims to combine the strengths of CAF’s advocacy, lobbying, training and information services with New Belfast’s multi-disciplinary workshop programmes and build on the legacy of both.

This plan was applied for through the ASOP programme and ACNI have indicated their support through this week’s funding announcement.

This newly merged organisation will maintain and strengthen community arts provision across Northern Ireland and explore and forge new partnerships locally, nationally and internationally.

But unfortunately there is a price to be paid. Valued members of staff will now face redundancy. This has been unavoidable and is a deeply regretted consequence of this process. The stark alternative was the loss of all services and staff.

In light of the difficulties and challenges of this transition, CAF and New Belfast will be sharing this learning through a series of seminars and publications later in the year.

Further information about the merger process will be released in the coming months.